Double Gun - ID help?

[Kevin]

Greetings Everyone,

Here's a likely European cousin to some Early American Firearms.  I've not fully figured out the markings on the top of the smoothbore barrels.  Maybe "Cas_ _ _ Hofer" on one line and "A  _ _ _ffenburg" on the other.  Someone suggested the Stockel's set as a possible source of additional info.  The underside of one barrel appears to have two stamped initials, a "P" and the 2nd one not legible.

I welcome any insights, additional information, or suggested sources of additional information than might be provided.

Many Thanks,
Kevin




man of steel plot

[rich pierce]

Well it looks to me like it was made flint in Europe maybe as early as 1750 by the carving and buttstock style and converted to percussion here.  Or could be Scandinavian and a little later.

[Longknife]

Kevin, a very nice, interesting, piece,,,, Definitely European! I have contemplating building a simple Continental European SXS (German) smoothbore but there are few originals to study. The carving behind the cheekpiece reminds me of a rifle in the RCA books, I will have to look that up. Can you get me some close up picture of the fore end cap and entry thimble. also how about some specs, Barrel length, gauge, hpw are the barrel thimbles attatched? Thanks, Ed

[Kevin]

Rich & Ed,  Thanks to both of you for your comments.

The barrels are approx. 31" long and the gauge is in the 18 to 20 range.  The one muzzle looks to be slightly enlarged/bulged.  There is only an upper rib on the barrels, no lower rib - thimbles are attached directly to barrels.  No fore end cap present.

I should be able to post some additional photos this weekend.

Until Then,
Kevin

[Feltwad]

For what I can see from the images I would say French flintlock converted to percussion by the drum and nipple principle , I would also say that the lock moulding and the trigger guard have been added at a later date .Only a top rib I have restored several guns with like  this which were French with Belgium Proof  , Question are the barrels soldered or brazed together
Feltwad

[Kevin]

Greetings Feltwad,

Thanks for your thoughts and interest in this double smoothbore.  As to your question, I cannot spot any sort of "brassy" color in the junction between the barrels - not sure if that rules out them being brazed.

Thanks Again,
Kevin

[Kevin]

As promised, here are some additional photos.  Also, earlier I cited the barrels being approx. 31" long - this is the current length but with the sight currently even with the muzzles they may have been longer at one time.

Kevin

[Kevin]

Additional photos/details.

A note about the triggerguard - The front end has separated from the post that anchors it to the stock so it is currently hanging slightly away from the gun.  She appears to have have a hard life.  There were a bunch of kid's decals stuck to the buttstock when discovered at a household sale in the mid 1970s.

All for now,
Kevin

[Mike Brooks]

That gun is way too manly to be French.

[Feltwad]

Keven

Thanks for the extra images  but to me a lot of American influence has been added to this gun  but I could be wrong most continental guns I have worked on did  not have this type of finish  .
Feltwad

[Longknife]

That gun is way too manly to be French.

Mike,,,,I AGREE!!!!!

  I also agree that it does have the looks of an early American piece but wasn't American style influenced by German style,,,,?  I do believe the trigger guard is original, look at all the hardware, it matches perfectly. The carving  also matches perfectly in style and execution,,, I believe it is all original to the piece. The key would be to ID the maker and Town on top of the barrel,,, And.,,,, there is a city in Germany called "Aschaffenburg"!!!! Now to ID the maker, Cas___Hofer, I haven't located a suitable name but it sure sound German to me!!! Also the initials on the bottom of the barrels could probably ID'd as the barrel maker.  I have not discounted the possibility that these barrels could have been restocked in America. A test of the wood type would be required though,,,,Just my .02,,,,Ed

[T*O*F]

The key would be to ID the maker and Town on top of the barrel,,, And.,,,, there is a city in Germany called "Aschaffenburg"!!!!

The town would be shown as A (space) Town Name.  The "A" meaning of or from.
Example:  Bietz A Strasborg

[Kevin]

Greetings All,

Thanks for the additional thoughts and insights.  Dave, another fellow also has suggested the "A" at the beginning of the 2nd line on the barrels equaling today's use of the @ symbol.

I just dumped "aschaffenburg hofer" into a search engine and it churned up an auction result for a flintlock pistol.  Maybe, or maybe not related?

Here is part of the auction listing for it:  top flat inlayed "CAS HOFER IN ASCHAFF=B" ....... The pistol was made by Cas Hoeffer, who worked in Aschaffenburg, which was in the province of Bayern (Bavaria), Germany. He was listed as a gunsmith here in 1780.

Found at:
https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/Firearms/A-German-Revolutionary-War-Period-Flintlock-Pistol-Signed-Cas-Hofer/lotInformation/34206622

The adventure continues,
Kevin